Just a Job
by Redemtion13
Summary: They are damn good thieves. Though no matter how good you are, some jobs can take you down paths you never expected to go. But in the end, it's just a job, right? AU.
1. Chapter 1

So, Tsubaki and Liz are like 17-18 and Soul (13) Patty (12)

Please Enjoy

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><p>Soul Evans didn't know where he was running to, he just knew he had to get away. Red eye's shining with held back tears, and white hair shining in the soft moonlight he continued running. Turning down another side street he felt his legs finally give out from under him and he collapsed against the grimy pavement. Letting out a chocked cry he curled his tiny body into a ball and began to sob quietly. For hours he laid there, sobs continuing to wrack his small body long after he had run out of tears, until finally, exhausted, he slipped into the darkness.<p>

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_Soul finished the piece with a small flourish, a smile on his face as he turned towards the beaming faces of his parents. "How was that?" _

_"Wonderful!" his mother laughed, gliding gradually over towards her son and enveloping him into a tight hug and pulling him up from the piano and into her arms. "You are wonderful." Soul snuggled into his mother's warmth as she carried him into the den, coming to a rest on the couch next to his father. "Don't you agree?" _

_"Very good" his father praised, reaching out and ruffling his son's frosty hair. "Keep it up, and you could play in Carnegie Hall one day." _

_Smiling at the praise, Soul relaxed into his mother, head resting easily against her as she began to smooth his hair out from his fathers rough hand. Eye's dropping, he lazily listened as his mother continued to speak to him. "You can do anything you want to baby. Always remember, you are mommies heart, and my Soul." _

_Nodding, Soul finally slipped away into a peaceful sleep, safely wrapped in the love of his family. _

_xXxXxXxXxXxXx_

"Hey, brat! You alive?" a loud female voice broke through his mind as something pointy hit him in the rib cage. Letting out a pathetic cry, Soul rolled over, but kept himself wrapped tightly in a ball.

"Liz, leave him alone" A softer voice admonished. "He's scared."

"Look at his clothes Tsubaki, he's not an orphan. Looks like's runaway. Might be worth something."

Soul heard a loud smack, followed by a groan but he still didn't raise his head. "Liz! Be more sensitive."

"I'm just saying" Liz grumbled. "S'not like we've pulled a good job in the last few weeks. Money is getting tight. This kid could be a meal ticket."

"Or, he could just be another frightened child" Tsubaki sighed as she crouched down next to the shivering bow, "Hey, it's okay." She reached out and laid her hand softly on his back. Feeling the contact, Soul's fight or flight instinct kicked in and he rolled to his feet. With a terrified cry he took off, only to have his ankle give out from under him as it twisted awkwardly. Whimpering, he crashed back down to the ally way, collapsing into a trio of trashcans loudly. Behind him, him Liz sighed.

"So…that went well" She rolled her eyes as she advanced forward with Tsubaki on the cowering youth.

The raven-haired girl gave her accomplice a scathing look before once again crouching down next to Soul, giving him an encouraging smile. "Sorry if I scared you. Are you hurt?"

Eye's wide, Soul shook his head back and forth quickly. But his mouth remained firmly shut.

She nodded, "Okay, good. So can you tell me your name?" When Soul shook his head again, Liz scoffed, but Tsubaki's smile never wavered. "How about we tell you our names? Okay?" When no answer came from the young boy she continued. "This is Liz, and I'm Tsubaki."

Swallowing down the painful lump in his throat, Soul stared up into Tsubaki's smiling face. Seeing the warmth continued in her eyes, he slowly found his voice as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "So…ven" He lied. "My…my name is Sven

"Sven?" Tsubaki repeated slowly before smiling gently at him again. "That's a very nice name. Are you lost Sven?"

Soul shook his head. "No…I'm not lost."

"Do you know where your home is?"

"I don't have one." Soul replied softly. It wasn't a lie, not really.

Tsubaki glanced up at Liz quickly, both noting the suit the young boy was still wearing, obviously expensive even thought he grime and tears. Looking back at Sven, she continued her questioning. "Do you know your parents numbers Sven? Do you know where we could find them?"

There was a beat of uncomfortable silence as Soul's eyes widened, before filling with fresh tears and the young boy launched himself forward. Surprised, Tsubaki caught him in her arms and wrapped tightly them around the sobbing boy. Whispering soothingly, she once again caught Liz's eye. After a few seconds of non-verbal communication the blonde sighed and nodded.

"Sven" Tsubaki gently pried the small boy from her arms. "Do you want to come back with us? At least until you get everything sorted out?"

Soul chocked back another sob as he nodded, trying to wipe away his tears but failing miserably as they continued to fall.

"Good, it's not a far walk from here. Do you think you can walk?"

Soul shook his head, "I…I hurt my ankle."

"Don't worry, I can carry you." Tsubaki smiled, shaking her head and turning around. With a small prompting, the small boy clambered onto her back and the trio was on their way.

Silently, they walked down the many dark alleyways, taking so many twists and turns Soul soon lost his sense of direction. Though, he didn't know where he was anyway. Sighing, he rested his head on Tsubaki's shoulder as the minutes continued to mount and in moments he was fast asleep. Hearing the light snoring, Liz moved closer to Tsubaki, her voice low. "What are you planning?"

"We're going to take him back to the house. We'll figure out the rest from there"

"Tsubaki, look at him" Liz sighed, "He's an aristocrat. He's probably got some rich parent's looking for him right now. And if we're not going to collect a reward, we might as well just drop him off and go."

Coming to a halt, Tsubaki wheeled around on her friend, eyes gaining a rarely seen hardness. "Is that really what you want to do Liz? Do you want to just leave him on the street and hope for the best?"

Liz went silent as she stared at her friend before her eyes drifted to the sleeping boys face. His snowy hair had fallen over his face and a thin line of drool had begun to seep from his face. She could still see how puffy his eyes were from crying, and how the grime of the city marred his face. The boy wouldn't last a day out here. Letting out a sigh she shook her head and pushed past Tsubaki. "Ugh, fine. Let's get the little twerp back to the apartment. Maybe we can actually get some information out of him once he's gotten cleaned up and eaten a bit."

Behind her Tsubaki smiled knowingly. At heart Liz really was a softie, no matter how hard she tried to act cold.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_Soul didn't understand why no one came to pick him up from his recital. He didn't understand why his family hadn't been in their seats. They had promised they would be there. They had told him they would be right there, waiting for him after. But they never showed. _

_But Soul had still played. And he played to perfection. But as the applause rained over him, it felt wrong, hollow. But he had ignored it. He had ignored it all. Because once his mother was there, everything would be okay. _

_Two hours past, and still no one came for him. _

_Confused, he sat down on the cold pavement, wrapping his arms tightly around his legs as the hours continued to pass. It wasn't until sometime around midnight, a black car finally pulled up to the building. Warily, Soul rose to his feet, but made no move to approach the black car. His parents always came out to greet him. This wasn't right. This wasn't their car. Who were these people?_

_Slowly, the passenger door opened, and a slender women in a black suit stepped out. Frowning, she approached Soul who took an unsteady step back. "Who are you?" _

_"Soul Evans?" She asked quietly, ignoring his question. _

_"Who are you?" Soul repeated, louder, fearing starting to rising in his stomach. _

_"Are you Soul Evans?" She repeated, taking a step closer to him._

_"Where's my mom?" Soul yelled, taking another step back. "Where's my dad? Where's Wes? Where are they?"_

_The women's frown deepened as she slowly began. "Mr. Evans…there was…there was an accident. I'm so sorry." _

_And just like that, Soul Evans felt his world begin to crumble around him. _

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Soul woke up with a splitting headache. Groping around blindly he felt a pair of soft arms press down on his shoulders and force him back down gently.

"Mom?" he whimpered out quietly before reality cruelly sunk into him, and the memories came flooding back. Shaking away weakly from the arms, he forced his eyes open and found himself staring into a kind pair of blue eyes.

"Hello Sven" Tsubaki greeted quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Soul didn't reply at once, instead choosing to look around his surroundings, but he didn't gain much for his trouble. He was lying on a large couch, a thin blanket draped over him. He could hear two people talking loudly, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Rubbing his eyes, he turned back to Tsubaki who was waiting patiently. "Where am I?"

"My home" she replied, "It's a small house we rent out from time to time. Just a few miles from where we found you." Soul nodded, eyes still darting around the dark room. When he didn't speak again for a few minutes, Tsubaki took the imitative. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really" Soul lied, just as his stomach growled loudly. Laughing Tsubaki took his hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

"Don't worry Sven, you're safe here. We'll help you. I promise." Giving him another smile, she made to let go of his hand, but Soul held fast

"Wait!" Soul cried, sitting up. Staring into her gentle face, Soul felt his heart tighten. There were no lies, no anger or malice. Only shining kindness and trust. Continuing to stare up at her, Soul felt the tightness on his heart relax slightly for the first time in what felt like years. Swallowing hard, he made a decision "My name…my name is Soul."

Tsubaki watched him for a moment before smiling. "Okay Soul." She stood up, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. "That fits you much better than Sven does. I'll just go see how dinner is coming, then we'll get you, okay?" She waited until Soul nodded before leaving the room, leaving Soul alone with his thoughts. Or so he thought.

"Hi!" A bubbly voice cried next to him, causing him to jump and nearly slip off the couch. Recoiling back, he pulled the blanket tighter around him as he moved to a corner of the couch. "Sorry if I scared you!"

Finding his bearings, Soul glared at the young girl who had entered the room. "I wasn't scared."

"Were too! You jumped." she guffawed. "And I'm Patty!"

"My name's Soul. And I wasn't scared, I was simply surprised." Soul corrected her, relaxing slightly as he realized the new girl couldn't be any older than he was. But his relaxed state began to wane as she stared at him with wide blue eyes, obviously curious. "What?"

"You look funny" She giggled, plopping down on the couch next to him.

"I do not!" Soul pouted. He didn't even know this girl. Who was she to make fun of him?

"Do too!" She reached out quickly and tugged on his hair. "See, your hair is white."

Soul slapped her hand away. "That's not funny. It's just my hair."

"And your eyes" she continued, leaning uncomfortably close to him. "They are funny too."

Soul lowered his head sulkily. "There's nothing wrong with my eyes."

"But they're red" Patty questioned. "I've never met anyone with red eyes."

"Well…" Soul paused as he tried to think of a comeback. "Well, now you do."

Patty cocked her head to the side before smiling widely. "I like you! Do you want to be my friend?"

Soul stared at her for a moment, eyebrows rising. "Friend?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yeah. We move around a lot, so I don't get to have many friends. But if you're going to stay with us, then you can be my friend!"

Before Soul could answer, another voice cut in. "We don't know if he's staying with us Patty" Liz commented lightly as she strolled into the room. "We still don't even know who he is."

"He's Soul!" Patty replied simply, throwing her arm around Soul who immediately shrank away. "And he's my friend."

"We can talk about it later" Liz sighed, peeling Patty's arm from around Soul's shoulder and pulling the small girl over the couch. "Now come on, dinner is ready." She started to leave the room before noticing Soul was still rooted firmly on the couch, "You too twerp!" Nodding quickly, Soul jumped to his feet and followed silently.

xXxXxXxXxXXXxXxXx

Dinner was an experience unlike anything Soul had ever known. While dinner with his family could be lively at times, it was nothing compared to dinner with the girls. Loud voices filled the tiny kitchen as they talked about everything and nothing, while Soul quietly sipped the soup they had given to him. It wasn't until he bit into a piece of bread that he finally drew the attention of his new 'friend' again.

"Hey!" Patty called, leaning towards him, "You have sharp teeth!"

"Patty" Tsubaki chided, "Don't be rude."

"But he does!" Patty pointed towards Soul, who's mouth had closed tightly. "Show her. Please?"

Soul felt the eyes of the room fall on him as the girls waited expectantly. Unsure, he glanced at Tsubaki who gave him an encouraging smile. "If you want to Soul."

For a moment he stayed still, then slowly pulled back his lips, showing off his sharp teeth. Patty was instantly excited. "See! Look! He's like a shark!"

Across the table, her sister smiled. "Yes Patty, now leave Soul alone so he can eat."

"Kay!" Patty sang, lifting her bowl up and taking a loud sip as the conversation once again picked up.

Quietly, Soul continued eating, carefully watching the exchange before him. He didn't know why, but he liked it here. Maybe it was the loving exchange of Patty and Liz, or the warmth of Tsubaki's smile, or simply the vitality of this house that made him feel safe. Feel like how he used to. He took another bite of bread.

It was a far cry from his home. But it was something. And he couldn't help but want to cling to it.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Once dinner was done, Liz quickly made to send Patty off to bed. But the younger of the two sisters was quite against the idea. "But I don't wanna go to sleep!"

"Now Patty" Liz scolded, putting her hands on her sisters shoulders and marching her towards her room.

"But I wanna stay up." She pouted, "You're letting Soul stay up!"

"Only for a little bit" Liz responded with a sigh, pushing her sister gently into her room, "Then he's going to sleep too."

Patty ducked her head slightly, sulking. "Fine."

Liz smiled, leaning down and kissing her sister on the forehead. "Get some sleep. Gotta wake up early tomorrow for work. Love you."

"Love you too" Patty called as she climbed into her bed. "And sis?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Soul going to stay with us?"

Liz paused at the door. "I don't know yet Patty."

Patty yawned, curling up around her favorite stuffed animal. "I think he should. He looks lonely."

Liz smiled, "We'll see, now get some sleep." She shut the door and quickly made her way back to the kitchen where Tsubaki and Soul were still sitting patiently, Soul sipping on a glass of milk. Taking her seat, she glanced over at Tsubaki, waiting for her to start.

"Soul" Tsubaki began, drawing the young boys attention. "I told you we would help you, but we need to know some stuff first. Okay?"

Soul nodded, putting down the glass with a soft clink, "Okay."

She gave him a small smile. "Alright, so can you tell us why you were on the street?"

"I was running" Soul answered simply.

"From what?"

"The lady in the black suit." Soul shivered. "They said they were going to send me to an orphanage. But I didn't want to go. So I ran. I won't go back."

Tsubaki glanced up at Liz, both confused. "Is the lady in the Black suit your mother?"

Soul's red eyes flashed dangerously. "No! My mom would never send me away. My mom loves me! My whole family loves me!"

"Okay okay!" Tsubaki held up her hands apologetically. "But where is your mother then Soul?"

Almost instantly, Soul's anger deflated as he sank down lower in his chair. With a dull voice he answered her. "Dead. They're all dead."

"Oh Soul" Tsubaki whispered, getting up from her chair and gently enveloping the boy in a hug as he began to shake. "It's okay."

"No it's not!" he cried, burying his face against her chest. "They're gone. And no one wants me. Everything is gone. I just…" his voice cracked and he broke down to tears once again. Patiently, Tsubaki waited for him to calm down.

"Soul, when did this happen?"

"A few weeks ago…there was a car crash" he coughed out as he tried to stop his tears, still tightly clinging to Tsubaki. Across the table Liz perked up, drawing Tsubaki's attention. "Tonight she tried to take me away. I won't go back. I won't!"

"Shhh" Tsubaki sighed, rubbing his hair while looking at Liz. The blonde nodded. "You don't have to go back if you don't want to."

"Yeah." Liz finally spoke up, looking thoughtful. "You can stay here as long as you want Soul."

Soul pulled his face away from Tsubaki to look at Liz who gave him a gentle smile. "Really?"

"Really" Liz nodded.

"See, everything will be okay" Tsubaki assured him. "But it's been a long day. Why don't you go take a shower, then you can get some sleep. Okay?"

Soul nodded, giving her a tight hug before letting go. Silently he worked his way to Liz and repeated the action. "Thank you."

Liz smiled, returning the affection. "Don't worry about it. But you're going to pull your own weight, you got that?" When he nodded she gave him a small nudge. "Shower's down the hall, go on."

"Okay" Soul nodded, starting to make his way out when Liz called out to him.

"Hey Soul, can you tell us your last name?" She asked

Soul nodded, "It's Evans."

Liz's face never wavered as she smiled and nodded, letting him continue on towards the bathroom. As he exited the room, she swung her attention over to Tsubaki. "I know who that kid is."

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><p>Hope you Enjoyed!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Hope you enjoy_  
><em>

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><p><em>Soul lounged lazily on the couch as his brother softly played his violin, a fire cackling in the background. Everything was so perfect, so peaceful. <em>

_"Excited for tomorrow Soul?" Wes asked as his song came to a close and he sat down next to his brother, playfully knocking his feet out of the way. _

_"I guess" Soul replied. "They have me playing stuff I've already memorized. I wanna play something new." _

_"Well, then make something up" Wes offered, plucking his violin thoughtfully. "Then when you become famous, you can play it all you like. And one day, another spoiled little brat can whine about not wanting to play it." _

_Soul scowled at his brother, "Who are you calling spoiled? You're playing a Stradivarius!" _

_Wes laughed, leaning over and ruffling his younger brothers hair. "I'm just messing with you. But don't worry, just play the concert the best that you can, and after you can work on creating something."_

_Soul pushed his brothers hand away. "Will you help me?" _

_Wes smiled. "Of course. I'm your brother after all." _

_Soul returned the smile as something poked him softly on the shoulder…._

_xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx_

Soul's eyes flicked open to Tsubaki's gentle prodding. Yawning, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and blinked up at her wearily.

"Morning Soul" She smiled, "how's your ankle feel?"

Soul rotated it slowly, "It feels better. Where are Patty and Liz?"

"Working" Tsubaki, answered vaguely. "But Soul, I have to ask you something very important."

Soul sat up, letting the blanket fall away from his body as his eyes widened in fear. "You're not making me leave are you?"

Tsubaki shook her head, "No Soul, we'll never make you leave. But you have to understand, we move around a lot. If you stay with us, then you're going to have to get used to that."

Soul nodded his head up and down quickly. "I don't mind, really. I…I like it here."

Tsubaki nodded, her face staying serious. "Soul, there's something else. Something you need to know before you decide for sure if you want to stay with us."

Soul nodded, sleepily rubbing his eyes again. "What?"

"Soul, we're thieves."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Get it Patty?" Liz asked as her sister slipped into the seat across from her.

"Easy" the younger of the Thompsons replied, sliding a small envelope across the table to her sister. Catching it Liz quickly took a peak inside, cracking a crooked smile.

"Good job, this should be enough to get us through a few more weeks."

Patty nodded happily before her smile curved into a frown. "But we have to move soon, don't we?"

"If we don't people might catch on." Liz sighed, "maybe we can move somewhere warm this time, wouldn't you like that?"

Patty shrugged. "Is Soul coming with us?"

Liz hesitated. "I'm not sure. It might not be best for him."

"Why not?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "Because of who he is." When Patty gave her an expectant look she continued. "When he told us his name, I thought it sounded familiar, and then he started talking about his family being in a car crash and I remembered. It was in the news. The Evan's family, his dad owns…owned a huge music corporation, and both the Evan's boys were expected to have great musical careers ahead of them."

Patty's eyes widened. "So Soul is rich?"

Liz shook her head slowly. "That's the thing. He should be. He should have been set for life. It was why their death was such a big deal. His father's partners gutted the company, completely cut Soul out. Some financial guy said it was the most disgustingly underhanded act he's ever seen."

Patty's eyes turned hard. "So what's gonna happen to Soul?"

"Sounds like they were sending him to an orphanage or something." Liz shrugged. "He didn't really seem sure last night. But he's alone now."

"Just like us." Patty replied softly.

"Yeah Patty, just like us."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"You're what!" Soul cried, falling backwards on the couch.

"Thieves." Tsubaki replied calmly. "We steal. Normally just enough to finance ourselves."

"But…" Soul glanced around the shabby apartment. "But stealing is wrong."

Tsubaki shrugged. "It is what it is Soul. Like I said, I'll never make you leave, but I would understand if you feel like you should."

Soul opened his mouth, but no sound came out. How could they be thieves? The thieves in the movies were always bad, nasty people. But they were all so kind to him. He put his face in his hands as a pain started to form in his temples. "Who do you steal from?"

"We mostly stay small. Pick-pocketting, stealing jewelry, sometimes boost a car or break into a house if we're having a hard month." She sighed as Soul looked at her incredulously. "I know it sounds wrong Soul, but it's just how we survive."

"Why?"

Tsubaki let out another heavy sigh, settling down into the couch next to the wary boy. "I moved here from Japan with my brother Masamune when I was very young. And at first, everything was wonderful. But Masamune began to get involved with the local gangs. One thing led to another and within a few months, he was dead." On the couch Soul began to edge back towards her, his face softening. "I didn't know what to do. So I just kept on going, pretending that nothing had happened. I got a part time job to try and keep the apartment, but I couldn't keep up the rent. Eventually I got evicted." She stopped for a moment as Soul shifted even closer, giving him a sad smile she continued. "I was on the streets for a while, begging for whatever I could get, and that's when I met Liz and Patty. They got me off the streets, and they showed me how to live."

"Where are Liz and Patty's parents?" Soul asked softly.

"Their mother abandoned them." She shrugged. "And I don't even think they know who their father is." She looked down at Soul who was now leaning against her, tears slowly trailing down his face. "We're all orphans here Soul. We're all we have, we're…"

"You're a family," Soul stated thickly, wiping his eyes dry with his sleeve.

"Yes, we are" Tsubaki smiled, placing an arm around Soul's shoulders gently. "And you are welcome to stay with us, but if you want to leave, I promise we will help you find a place to stay. We won't just turn you out." When Soul didn't answer she added. "And you don't have to decide yet Soul."

Giving him a one armed hug, she moved off the couch and prepared to leave the room when Soul's voice cut through the silence. "I-I want to stay. I don't care what you guys do, I want to stay"

Looking over her should she flashed him a smile. "I'm glad. I guess tomorrow we will start your training."

Soul returned the smile, though he feel his stomach tie up in a knot. Could he really become a thief? He wiped his still wet eyes again. He would find out tomorrow.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I don't particularly like this" Soul grumbled as Liz forced his head under the running water.

"Oh don't be such a baby" she chastised as she rinsed the dye out of his hair. "It's going to wash out in a few weeks anyways."

"I don't get why I have to do this"

"Because you have white hair and red eyes." Liz pulled him up and threw him a towel. "How do you expect to blend into the crowd if the crowd is staring at you?"

"It's not that bad"

"Oh isn't it?" she smirked, leaning back out of the bathroom. "Oi! Patty!"

"What!" her sister roared from across the apartment.

"What's the first thing you noticed about Soul?"

"He's got white hair!" Patty yelled back as Liz leaned back in and smiled at Soul triumphantly.

"That's just one person!" Soul protested, pulling the towel from his hair.

"Want me to ask Tsubaki then?" Liz grinned as Soul made his way to the mirror.

"No I…" Soul trailed off as he finally caught sight of himself. Mouth open, he stared at his reflection, white hair now dyed dark black. "What have you done to me?"

"You look fine" Liz called as she walked out of the tiny bathroom, Soul following in tow with a deep glare. "Hey everyone! Come see how stupid Soul looks!"

She shot Soul an evil look as Patty and Tsubaki entered the room, the former immediately bursting into laughter while Tsubaki gave a more appropriate grin. "You look good Soul."

"Meh" Soul sniffed, running his hand angrily through his hair. "So let's get to this stupid lesson already."

"Already did half pint" Liz called, tossing a small item towards him. Deftly he caught it before letting out a gasp.

"This is my wallet!"

"Yup" Liz nodded, "Lesson One, if you notice what you did you're already screwed."

Soul gaped at her, "How did you do that though?"

"If you pinch someone's arm, they don't notice if you touch their leg." Tsubaki replied, sitting down on the couch, a small book in her hands. She looked at as Soul gave her a blank look. "Most people only focus on the initial of contact. Think, when could Liz have taken it?"

Soul thought back before glancing at Liz. "When you pulled me up?"

"Bingo kiddo" she winked. "Easy as pie. And that's what you'll be doing today. Get good enough at that, maybe you can start charming women out of their jewelry…maybe."

Soul nodded, suddenly feeling nervous. "And if I get caught."

All three of the girls looked up. "Don't get caught."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"There is no way in hell I can do this." Soul hissed between his teeth as Patty pulled him along. "I'm going to get caught and go to jail."

"Hush" Patty gave him a reassuring smile. "It's not that hard. You see that guy?"

Soul looked at the man in question, "Yeah?"

"He just put his wallet into his outer coat pocket, he's an easy target. All you have to do is bump into him and grab the wallet. Okay?" Soul nodded, swallowing hard. "Good!" she poked him in the chest, "Tag! You're it!" Giggling, she took off running. For a moment, Soul stared after her before taking off.

He saw Patty dart in front of the target, cutting him off. He stopped directly in Soul's path, glaring after the blonde haired girl. Soul swallowed his fear down and speed up his pace. He was getting closer and closer. Oh God he couldn't do this!

Gritting his teeth Soul slammed into the man, knocking him back a few steps. Finding control of his hand, he snaked it into the coats outer pocket, finger's desperately grasping at the leather.

"Hey!" the man snapped, pushing Soul away. "Watch it Brat!"

Sliding backwards, Souls eyes went wide with real fear. "S-sorry mister."

"Ugh, just get out of here you little moron" he growled before waving the dark haired boy away and storming off. Nodding fervently Soul ran off the in the opposite direction, not stopping until he had put several blocks between himself and the target. Gasping, he came to a stop, heart pounding against his chest.

"Did ya do it?" A voice practically screamed in his ear. Jumping, Soul spun around to Patty's smiling face. Seeing his terrified face she laughed. "Don't worry, I followed you the whole time, he didn't notice anything. So did you do it?"

Trembling slightly, Soul nodded, patting his own pocket. Never take out anything you stole until you were somewhere safe, rule three.

"Good!" Patty smiled, pulling him into a brief hug before pulling out her cheap cell phone. "I'll tell sis we can keep you!"

Soul let out a shaky laugh, feeling the adrenaline continue to pump through his veins as Patty made the call. He had done it; he had committed his first crime. He had taken his first step towards his new life. Running his hand through his dyed hair, he felt a small smirk play across his lips as his heart finally began to slow down.

It had been….kinda cool.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Hope you enjoy.

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><p>"Not bad Twerp" Liz nodded as he threw the five wallets he had managed to collect onto the kitchen table. "You got about half of what I expected."<p>

Soul's mouth dropped, "Half?"

"Yup, big city like this you should have been able to nab ten to fifteen easy. But for a first try, you did alright."

"Oh really?" Tsubaki asked as she entered the room and sat down at the table. "Maybe we should tell Soul what happened the first time you tried to pick pocket someone."

Liz's face when Red as Patty began to cackle. "I don't think we…."

"If I remember correctly, you got caught, and ended up having to hide in a dumpster." Tsubaki smiled, winking at Soul.

Liz shot her a glare before picking up the first wallet. "Whatever, now look, everything in here is unimportant except this" she pulled out the currency, tossing it on the table. "Credit cards, debit cards, anything with a name are useless to us."

"Why?" Soul asked. His parents sued cards for almost everything."

We use those, we get flagged, we get caught on cameras, and then we get caught. So we ditch em." Liz informed him, already pulling the next wallet. "If you're ever in a hurry, grab the cash and drop the wallet as soon as you can, trashcan is your best bet. Got it?"

"Don't keep the wallet…don't keep the cards" Soul repeated, looking at the growing pile of cash. "And this is how you make money?"

Liz shook her head, nodding to Tsubaki as she began to count the money. The Japanese beauty began to explain. "A lot of times we steal jewelry, it's not hard to find someone will to pay for something they can melt down to resell. They don't ask questions, we don't give names. Same thing with cars, chop shops are very welcoming of new merchandise as long as you can keep your mouth shut."

"And then we leave" Patty chimed in.

Tsubaki nodded, "We try not to stay in one city for very long, gaining a reputation is how you get caught. But normally we have to do a big job for that."

Soul cocked his head to the side. "A big job?"

"Contract" Liz cut in, dropping a neat pile on money onto the table. "If you know the right places to look, theirs always someone who wants a job done. They want information, they want a certain heirloom, hell, one person wanted a dog back. You be surprised how much a scorned ex-husband or wife is willing to pay to get something back."

Soul laughed before asking "So, when are you moving again?"

"Soon, we have to leave the city very soon." Liz stated with a shrug

"Why?"

"You" She reached out and tugged lightly on his hair. "Even with black hair you still are recognizable, given enough time. Don't want to risk it. So we'll move soon."

"Oh" Soul frowned, eyes casting downward. "I'm sorry."

"Ah don't worry about it twerp" Liz waved his apology off. "Moving is no big deal, we've been here too long as it is."

"But we do have to find a score!" Patty replied thoughtfully, tapping her chin.

Liz Shrugged, "Yeah, but business has been slow lately. No one around here has heard of anything big going on. We might be stuck here a while if we can't find something that'll pay, which I don't want to do."

Across the table Tsubaki nodded quietly, a small frown on her face that quickly spread to the other two girls as they too realized the problem they could possibly face. But the fourth table member thoughtfully ran his hand through his hair, a mad idea going through his mind. Clearing his throat softly, he drew the attention of the room to himself.

"I know a big job you could pull"

Liz snorted, "Oh yeah? Who do you know that needs something done?"

"Me" Soul stated simply. "I have a job for you. And it will pay extremely well."

The three girls stared at him in silence before Tsubaki finally leaned forward. "What are you planning Soul?"

He smirked, crimson eyes gleaming.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"You have got to be kidding me?" Liz breathed as the quartet moved along the edge of the properly, cloaked in shadows of cast by the immaculately manicured trees. It was easily one of the biggest homes she had ever seen. "This is your home?"

"Was." Soul replied softly, forcing his voice to remain steady as he gazed up at what used to be his home. "We can enter through the greenhouse, it's never locked. Then I can turn of the alarm from there." He paused as Tsubaki laid a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he glanced into her worried eyes.

"Are you sure about this Soul? We can leave now. We can always find another job."

He shook his head, strands of black hair falling into his eyes. "Nothing in there is important anymore. It's just going to get sold anyway." He added bitterly.

Tsubaki still looked apprehensive, but Liz nodded. "Alright, go make sure the alarm codes haven't been changed, then give us the signal."

Soul nodded, breaking away from the group and bounding across the dimly lit grounds, noting how fast the grass was already begining to grow without upkeep. Reaching the green house he groped around in the dark before finally finding the door handle. With a slight push he slid the panel back and slipped inside. Sighing, he took in a deep breath, taking a moment to appriciate the frangrent flowers his mother had worked tirelessly to keep alive. Shaking his head he drifted past rows and rows of local and exotic flowers until he came to his favorite. A simple white rose bush.

Sighing again he trailed his finger gently along the stem of one, careful to avoid the thorns until he came to the soft white flesh of the petals. His mother had planted the bush from him and his brother, a perfect match for their white hair. Shaking his head slightly, he wiped away a stray tear. Sliding a small knife from his pocket, he sliced the flower free from the bush. Without a word he slipped both items back in his and continued on towards the house.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Do you think we should be doing this?" Tsubaki asked softly as Soul disappeared into the greenhouse. "It was his family."

"If Soul wants to do this, we do it." Liz sighed, pulling on a pair of black gloves. "Look, anything Soul doesn't want us to touch, we don't touch. And if he changes his mind, we drop it, okay?"

Tsubaki nodded, but still a frown persisted on her face. Settling back into silence they waited for Soul to give them the signal.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Soul softly pressed thumb against the scanner that barred the door from entry. There was a moment of hesitation before the device gave out a gentle beep and the indicator light switched from red to green. Letting out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, Soul pushed the door open as he pulled a small penlight from belt. Shining the light towards the waiting girls direction he flashed it on and off three times. After a few minutes of waiting, they slowly appeared form the darkness.

"All good?" Liz asked softly, peering into the dark house.

"All good" Soul affirmed, stepping inside. "You think we can turn on the lights?"

Tsubaki and Liz exchanged glances before shaking their heads. "I think it would be better if we kept them off, just incase anyone passes by."

"I'll show you where my parents kept all the jewelry then." Soul nodded, flicking his flashlight back on and venturing into the house. Silently the girls followed him, eye's lingering over the pure richness of the interior.

"Soul was loaded!" Patty whispered as they passed a large library filled with rustic looking volumes. Liz could only nod in agreement as Soul came to a set of wide double doors. He paused for a moment before squaring his shoulders and pushing ahead.

The trio of females let out a collective gasp as they entered the master bedroom, a giant bed dominating the room. In front of them, Soul continued on his way, opening yet another door to lead them into a large walk in closet.

"Jewlery and stuffs in here" Soul stated as he pointed to a large ornately carved chest, his voice slightly dead. "It's never locked." He glanced to a large dresser, "And my dad keeps…he kept money in that second drawer, a lot of it." He started to speak again but his voice cracked and he went silent, shoulders starting to shake. Silently. Tsubaki wrapped him in a gentle hug.

"We can leave Soul."

"No" he voice out firmly, pulling out of the embrace. "It would all be mine anyways…I'm the only Evans left. And this is what I want."

"Alight" Liz sighed, pulling the pack from her back and already opening the chest. "Patty, you go check out the dresser. Tsubaki, you go check the house for anything else of value that we can carry. Soul, go grab some clothes and anything else you want to take, alright?"

Soul nodded, already setting off with Tsubaki in tow. When the reached the center of the house, he raised his hand. "We have a bunch of silverware and platters in the dining room, if you think it's worth anything."

She nodded, "I'll go check it out. Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'm alright. I'll meet you back with Liz and Patty." Soul flashed her a half-hearted smile as he started away and up the winding staircase. "I'll just go pack up some stuff really quickly"

But he was lying. Soul didn't head to his room, instead of veered to the left, going down a different, but familiar hallway. Coming to the end he rested his hand gently against the doorknob before slowly pushing the door open. He cringed when the silence hit him. The overwhelming silence that inhabited a room that once housed his loving brother. Swallowing down the lump that formed in his throat, he forced his legs work as he moved into the room. Ignoring the still unmade bed from the night he had died, the clothes he had left strewn on the floor, Soul made his way towards his brother's desk. Taking a calming breath, he gingerly reached out and touched the case that still lay there, waiting. He felt an evil smile flit to his lips as he picked up the thickly padded violin case and strung it across his back. The Stradivarius was one thing he would not let them take from him. Wes had loved the instrument, spending hours on end playing for Soul, and teaching him anything and everything about music. Soul would be damned if he would let anyone take it away from him, dead or not.

Without wasting another moment Soul stole from his brothers room and headed into his own. Opening his pack he quickly grabbed as many clothes as he could, careful not to disturb the room much. Liz and Tsubaki preferred if no one noticed anything was missing for as long as possible, it lessened the chance of them being caught. Pushing in a final pair of pants, he stood up and glanced at the watch Patty had loaned him. Ignoring the face that it was pink, and had a giraffe wristband, he checked the time. They had been inside for ten minutes. They only had five minutes left. Taking one final glance around his room, he nodded and head back downstairs.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"That everything Soul?" Liz asked as she softly closed the lid the chest, pack now heavy with precious metal.

Soul nodded, glancing as Tsubaki and Patty, both of which also had bulging packs on their backs. "I guess we should probably get going then."

Liz nodded, standing up and heading off with Patty, leaving Soul and Tsubaki behind.

"Are you sure there's nothing else you need to do here Soul?" Tsubaki asked quietly, "I don't think you'll be able to come back."

Soul shook his head. "I...I think I got everything."

"How about this?" Tsubaki asked, holding out a small picture frame to him. Taking it he saw the smiling faces of his family as they sat on the piano bench, Wes' violin held lightly in one hand while his arm went around his little brothers shoulder, their parents on either side.

"Oh." Soul replied softly, feeling tears begin to well up again. Taking in a calming breath, he gently slipped the picture inside his pack. He couldn't help but feel slightly less empty as he felt the rose in his pocket, the violin across his back, and the added weight of the picture frame. But still… "There's one more thing I have to do, I'll meet you outside?"

Tsubaki nodded, giving his a quick squeeze on the arm before floating away into the darkness, leaving Soul alone. Wiping his damp eyes, Soul followed after the group before veering off once again. Following the memorized path in the darkness, he soon found himself in his favorite room. The hard wood floors creaked welcomingly as he slipped across them and towards the large grand piano that dominated the room. Sitting down on the bench, he flipped open the fall with practiced ease and let his fingers fall to the keys. Shaking slightly, he felt the urge to play start to overwhelm him. Truly, he had never wanted to play so badly, to pound out his emotions, to make the instrument scream his pain away.

But he couldn't. Not now. And he doubted he ever would. Letting out a shaky sigh, he carefully let the fall slide back over the keys and began to rise when a mad thought crashed through his mind. Slipping under the piano he quickly located a small flat space of unblemished wood. Pulling the knife from his pocket, he carefully scratched out his name into the hard flesh before pulling up his hand. Wincing slightly, he sliced open his thumb and pressed it against the signature, staining the wood his blood oath. Taking in a deep breath, he made a promise.

Soul Evans would not play again until he found his way back to this piano, back to his own life.

* * *

><p>So Soul is officially a thief now with his new family. But he hasn't let go of the old.<p>

Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review.


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